Live lunchtime webchat with Tana Ramsay, 1-2pm, Monday 13 October

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Tana will be online in half an hour to answer your questions about cooking and food for families, her new recipe book and anything else culinary you're burning to ask her. See you then...

For Tana, and any others MN - I need a blender that blends real food down to proper liquid. Only one I know is the vita mix from the US but its got a US plug and costs lots of money. Are there any here? Its so tube fed dd can have real food rather than that processed crud. Any bits will block the tube.

nothing on god's earth could persuade me to eat a pig's tail.

No question, just that really.

Hi Tana,

Do you ever phone up for a takeaway meal, Indian, Pizza etc? Do you always eat as a family?

lol, yes, agree on pigs tail

well I will keep on trying then

thanks

just so you know, Tana's web connection being a bit temperamental, but fingers x'd it will behave from now on (or no pudding!)

Tana- forget cooking

You always wear lovely shoes, from where do you purchase said footwear?

(lick, lick fawn fawn)

Thanks Tana - we already do all those things, was just seeing whether I'd missed some fab idea that DS (2) could be doing.

DS loooooves mussels, squid, sushi, octopus etc, so thats not a problem for me

dON'T THE answers come very slowly on these guest threads

when I'm on for a solid hour I can answer 10x as many questions

Needmorecoffee,

with the elderly it is essential that they have a balanced healthy diet and ofcourse they are not always able to get out shopping or indeed cook for themselves so they have to rely on people to cook for them. If they have no family or friends to help then it is a necessity for them to eat a good hot meal and ready meals would be the only way to go.
I know Gordon's mum does a lot of cooking in her local community for the elderly but I think living in small villages they are able to help more whilst in big towns this is not the case.

Tana

Tana... what in your view is the most difficult thing about being a parent?

CHILDREN!

Hi Tana.

As a child who was brought up on bulk-buy minced beef crispy pancakes from Leeds market , I always try to buy fairly decent versions of things such as bread, cheese, minced beef and orange juice, even though we are strapped for cash.

I think the cheap options of some foods are false economy.

Which items would you recommend never to skimp on unless absolutely necessary?

I'd eat one. It's only like pork scratchings.

Ok, here's one. You know how Jamie Oliver is conquering (in his dreams!) Rotherham with his holy quest to get them all cooking? Do you think that is the right approach? And what are your thoughts on mums who only feed their children pizza and chips using the argument that it's cheaper?

Mumofmonsters,

I have got very good at streching meals, when you fill a basket with veg and a pack of mince meat it can go a long way! think of leftover soups, risotto etc and never allow any waste.

Tana

Why is Gordon so rude about vegetarians?

no questions, but WOW! love Gordon on the F word.

ahem sorry, er what's he like in your home kitchen? (if that questions' not been asked?)

HumphreyCushion

What, never the chicken and bacon variety? Not even for birthdays?

Hi Tana,

Did you co-sleep with any of your children if so, how long for?
Were they good or bad sleepers?
Did they used to come into your bed at stupid 'o' clock or did you return them back to their beds if they woke in the night?

PuzzleRocks - I used to dream of the chicken and bacon variety.

HumphreyCushion,

I think you need to concentrate on meat - not necessarily buying organic as it is so expensive, talk to the butcher behind the counter in supermarkets and if you are slow cooking ask for the cheaper cuts that will tenderise with slow cooking. The under used cuts are always cheaper and you only learn this from talking to butchers, thats what I do!

Tana

ds is underweight, very fussy and also now needs to have a low salt diet, what sort of thing would you suggest with him being so fussy, he'll eat fish fingers and sausages and not much more than that!

Tana,

When can we come round for dinner?

Tana, what do you and Gordon eat whilst marathon training?

Grublin,

I was guilty of falling asleep with a baby (or two with the twins) feeding as I breastfed, but did often wake up terrified of rolling on them. It is not advisable but when you are so exhausted sometimes you just have to sleep.

Now they are older still they will wander in after a bad dream but we are quite strict on them going straight back after a cuddle to their own beds. I am not good if I have not had a good nights sleep!

Tana